Tobacco spreading device for cigarette machines



July 19, 1932.

TOBACCO SPREADING DEVICE.- FOR CIGAR Filed April 6, 1928 w W (u & W

4 h 1 WM 7 a y F $5 Patented July 19, 1932 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONSTANTIN FRIEDRICH RClBEB, OF DRE$DEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSELLE CIGARETTENMACHINEN FABRICK J. C. MT TLLER & 00., OF DRESDEN, GERMANY TOBACCO SPREADING DEVICE FOR CIGARETTE MACHINES Application filed April 6, 1928, Serial No. 267,894, and in Germany April 25, 1927.

In tobacco spreading devices for cigarette machines it is usual to feed the tobacco by means of an endless belt to a take-up roller, the upper inclined flight of this belt on which the tobacco supply rests being moved in a direction towards the take-up roller. The roller extends into the tobacco supply which with its whole weight (which is continually being reduced due to the continual removal of the tobacco) presses on the feed band and on the take-up roller. It is known that this arrangement possesses many disadvantages and it has not been possible to attain a uniform feed of tobacco. The fleece forming on the take-up roller is always irregular.

In accordance with the present invention the tobacco is deposited from a special hopper provided with tobacco loosening means on the horizontal upper flight of an endless band in a layer regulatable in thickness and is fed towards the take-up roller.

In this arrangement the roller does not come in contact with the tobacco supply of the hopper from which the tobacco has already been discharged and fed in a layer of regulatable thickness. The tobacco is fed by the known feed band and the roller takes the tobacco from the feed band, a resiliently pressed roller pressing the layer firmly into the pins on this roller. Any remaining loose tobacco not taken up by the pins is returned by a second feed band, which is also guided over the pressure roller, to the first feed band.

The tobacco itself is disposed first in a separate hopper from which it passes in already loosened condition on to the upper flight of the endless band which feeds it to the take-up roller. Suitable loosening de- 0 vices are arranged in the hopper which are so arranged that they deliver only a definite quantity of tobacco to the feed band and on this a layer of definite thickness is formed.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. leis a longitudinal section through the improved spreading device. Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the tobacco loosening device arranged in the tobacco hopper. Fig. 41

is a horizontal cross section on the line 44.- of Fig. 1 to enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawing, there is provided in the housing 1 of the tobacco spreading device the usual take-up roller 2 mounted on a shaft 3. A stripper roller 4 mounted on the shaft 5 cooperates with the take-up roller in known manner. The rollers are driven by the main shaft 6 through the pin' ions 7, 8, 9 and 10, the pinion 9 being mounted on an intermediate shaft 11. The tobacco fleece formed on the take-up roller 2 is removed in known manner by the stripper roller 12 which rotates in the direction of Y the arrow and is delivered to the upper flight of the endless belt 13 the guide pulley 14 of which is driven from the pinion 7 on the main shaft 6 by the pinion 15. The endless belt delivers the tobacco through the passage 16 in known manner into the tobaccochannel 17 of the cigarette machine.

In accordance with the invention the tobacco supply is contained in a separate hopper 18. The tobacco is supported in this hopper on a plate consisting of two parts 19 and 20 which are formed as rakes with interengag ing comb-like teeth 21, 22 considerable space being afforded between the separate teeth as shown in Fig. 3. The two parts 19 and 20 are: secured to spindles 23 and 24 rotatably mounted in walls of the hopper 18 at 25 and 26, the plates having rearward projections 27, 28 with which engage connecting rods 29, 30 (see Fig.

2). Each rod is mounted'on the crank pin 31 or 32 of a crank 33 or 34 on the shaft 35. The crank pins 31, 32 being displaced with re spect to one another through The plates19, 20 are thus caused to swing relatively to one another by means of the rods 29, 30, the teeth of the one plate passing through the gaps between the teeth on the other. The tobacco supply in the hopper rests on the plates 19, 20 and as these plates are moved relatively to one another the tobacco is main- M tained continuously in movement, a part of M the tobacco particles being drawn through the gaps in the teeth and deposited on the upper and horizontal flight of the feed band 36 which is led over the two guide pulleys 37 e? and 38. On the shaft 39 of the guide pulley of movement of the band 36.

38 is mounted a pinion 40 which meshes with a pinion 41 driven by the pinion 8 on the roller and carried upwards thereby.

Over the feed band 36 is located a presser roller 42 the spindle 43 of which is carried by a rod 44 the other end of which is mounted on a pivot 45 which is secured to a rail 46 which is both horizontally and vertically adjustable on the wall of the spreader housing 1. For the purpose of adjustment, there are provided vertical guide rails 47 having vertical slots in which engage adjusting screws 48. The heads of these screws pass through horizontal slots in the rail 46 so that vertical and horizontal adjustment of the rail 46 ispossible.

The roller 42 carried by the movable rod 44 is pressed by a spring 50 against the periphery of the roller 2. The roller 42 has for its object to press the tobacco taken up by the take-up roller.

The tobacco which is not gripped by the take-up roller is led back by an endless belt 51 moving over the presser roller 42. This belt is guided at its other end over a second guide pulley 52, the spindle 53 of which is carried by a rod 54, the lower end of which is rotatably mounted on a bolt 55 on the rail 46. The upper flight of the belt 51 is moved in the direction of the arrow and takes with it any excess tobacco. The endless belt 51 is made of suflicient length that the tobacco fed thereby will be returned to the layer of to bacco which rests on the upper flight of the main feed band 36. The endless belt 51 is driven by the roller 42 on the spindle 43 on which is mounted a rope pulley which is driven by means of the rope or cord 56 from a rope pulley on the driving axle 57. This spindle 57 is in turn rotated by means of a rope 58 from a main shaft 6 of the spreading device. The shaft 35 is driven from this spindle 57 by means of rope 59. On the shaft 35 are mounted the crank discs 33 and 34 which actuate the plates 19 and 20 in the hopper 18.

As is clear the guide pulleys 42 and 52 of the endless belt 51 the shafts of which pulleys are connected by a link with one another may be raised or lowered, one roller 42 being continuously pulled against the periphery of the roller 2 by the spring 50. The vertical adjustment of. the endless band 51 serves to maintain the thickness of the fleece 011. the take-up roller 2.

to be pressed resiliently against said take-up roller substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A tobacco spreading device for cigarette machines including in combination, a hopper for the tobacco, tobacco loosening means disposed within said hopper, a horizontal endless band constituting the bottom of said hopper, a take-up roller disposed adjacent the delivery side of the endless band to...

receive the tobacco from said endless band, a presser roller disposed over the endless band and adapted to be pressed resiliently against said take-up roller, and a second endless band disposed over the first men-v tioned endless band and serving to return excess tobacco to said first mentioned endless hand, said presser roller constituting one guide roller of said second endless band.

3. A tobacco spreading device for ciga-.

rette machines including in combination, a

hopper for the tobacco, tobacco loosening means disposed within said hopper, a horizontal endless band constituting the bottom of said hopper, a take-up roller disposed ad jacent the delivery side of the endless band to receive the tobacco from said endless band, a presser roller disposed over the endless band and adapted to be pressed resiliently against said take-up roller, a second endless band disposed over the first mentioned endless band and serving to return excess tobacco to said first mentioned endless band, said presser roller constituting one guide roller of said second endless band, and rods for displacing,

said second mentioned endless band transversely or vertically.

4. A tobacco spreading device for cigarette machines including in combination, a hopper for the tobacco, tobacco loosening means disposed within said hopper, a horizontal endless band constituting the bottom of said hopper and a take-up roller serving to receive the tobacco from said endless band, said tobacco loosening means comprising a pair of plates, said plates each formed with teeth and means for rotating said plates relatively to one another.

5. A tobacco spreading device, including in combination a hopper for the tobacco, tobacco loosening means in said hopper, an endless band constituting the bottom of said hopper, take, up means located outside of said hopper and adjacent the delivery end of said endless band to receive the tobacco from said band and a presser roller disposed above said endless band and adapted to be pressed resiliently against said take up means.

6. A tobacco spreading device, including in combination a container for the tobacco, tobacco loosening means in said container, an endless band constituting the bottom of said container and projecting outwardly beyond the Walls of said container, and take up means located outside of said hopper and adjacent the delivery end of said band to receive the tobacco from said band, means for pressing said tobacco into said take up means and removing excess tobacco thereon and means for returning the said excess tobacco to said endless band.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CONSTANTIN FRIEDRICH RGBER. 

